You might have seen your friends or even celebrities receive great results from teeth whitening – which could make you wonder how it works. In this blog, our dentists in Brandon discuss the teeth whitening process and how it could help brighten your smile.
What is Teeth Whitening?
As we get older our teeth naturally become darker. This gradual colour change could be the result of lifestyle factors including drinking dark beverages such as alcohol, coffee, or tea, smoking, taking certain medications, and overall wear and tear from a lifetime of use.
Professional teeth whitening treatments consist of peroxide-based bleaching agents that can lighten the colour of your teeth and lower the visibility of surface stains. As the peroxide breaks down, oxygen acts on tooth enamel establishing a whitening effect.
In-Office Professional Teeth Whitening
Professional teeth whitening in the dental office is a popular treatment for many patients, as we can usually complete the full process in one or two sessions.
During your in-office whitening treatment, the dentist will start by placing a rubber shield over your gums to protect them from the whitening solution.
Next, they will apply the bleaching solution to your teeth with a small brush-like applicator. The solution will be left to work on your teeth for 15 minutes under a low-heat lamp. Your hygienist will then clear the solution and repeat the application process.
This process usually takes approximately 1 to 2 hours. For some patients, one session may be enough, but depending on your specific case, you may require more treatments to achieve the whitening effect you had in mind.
At-Home Professional Teeth Whitening
Type “how to whiten teeth” into your favourite online search engine and you will come across a wide variety of at-home teeth whitening options. While these present one alternative, they are not quite as strong or as effective as the teeth whitening kits that our Brandon dentists can provide you with.
The teeth whitening solutions we offer at Brandon Dental Centre consist of custom whitening trays and detailed instructions on how you can make your teeth lighter from the comfort of your home. Also, you will have your dentist supervising the process, and the costs of your at-teeth whitening might be somewhat less than the in-office solution.
To begin, you’ll first need to visit the dentist so they can make an impression of your teeth in order to create custom whitening trays that fit your smile. You’ll use these trays at home to apply the whitening solution yourself.
Once your trays are ready, you will return to the dentist’s office to confirm they are a good fit. Next, you’ll be sent home with the trays, the whitening solution, and clear instructions from your dentist.
At home, you’ll wear the trays for about 30 minutes every day for approximately 2 weeks, until you achieve the desired level of whiteness. Then, you can use the whitening solution to touch up your smile every 6 months or so.